Valve



July 4, 1933. MASON 1,916,767

VALVE Filed Dec. 6, 1928 k W V fii iv A V [w ix (if L 0L EIIIIIE b JW 0 'BY/ /HROLD LYALL MASO Wv-JW dlbvmq:

Patented July 4, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,"

HAROLD LYALL} MASON, 0F HAMPSTEAD, LoNnomENGLA vn VALVE Application filed December 6, 1928, Serial No. 324,142, and in Great Britain December 13, 1927.

This invention relates to valves of the type known as safety, relief, reducing, regulating and similar valves, particularly to automati- .cally operated fluid pressure valves.

The object of the present invention is to provide a valvev of simple and compact structure which shall be sensitive to slight variations in pressure. V V 1 Another object is to provide an improved form of high lift valve.

Auxiliary valves are known of a type in which the lifting action of the fluid, after the valve is initially opened, is aided-or reinforced by a floating actuator disc or a piston which, in some cases, is on the high pressure side and in other cases on the low pressure side of the valve. V

In accordance with this invention I provide can automatically operated fluid valve which comprises a main valve and a supbe varied'andadjusted independently of the lift of the main valve, or the-load operating against the actuator valve can be varied and adjusted independently of the load operating against the main valve. 7 i

The accompanying drawing illustratesthe invention. a

The figure is a sectional elevation of an ordinary safety valve made in accordance with this invention.

In the figure the body of the whole valve 0; has a pluralityof openings, one Z) above, functioning as an exhaust, one 0 below for ad mission of fluid, and openings 03 between the main valve 6 and the actuator-valve f, for admission and discharge of fluid. Spindle 9 connected to and supporting valve 6 has an internal spindle g which is adjustably screw- 7 I threaded to spindle g at 0" thus allowing the relative lifts of the main valve 0 and the actuator valve f to be altered. The fluid in passing through the openings d may be at the same pressure or adifi'erent pressure from that passing through or actingon the actuator valve .7. The main valve eand theactuator valve are so arranged that-when one it overcomes the resistance of the springon the spindle g operate to open the mainvalve e,

and to close and hold closed the actuator valve This actuator valve f in return will be opened when the pressure of the load exceeds the pressure under thesaid actuator 51 valve f. Main valve member 0, and actuator valve f are provided with seatings h, 2'. Main valve 6 is'shown on its seating and the actu ator valve 7 shown off its seating; but even when off its seating the actuator valve f eX-. 651

tends within its seating to a slight extent as I illustrated. I I I In order to provide a sensitive loadin device so as to permit of the opening 0? the valve sufficiently to give a good area compared with its diameter, aspiral or helical loading spring mf-is disposed about valve spindle 9. Spring m abuts at one end on a shouldered element n screwed into the top 0 of the valve m casing, and at the other end upon a disk 10 secured to the valvespindle g. p i

The valve spindle is divided into-two parts 9, q thereby providing an independentspindle for actuator valve 7", so that the main valve 6 is not impeded from rising when the predetermined pressure is reached should any impediment such as grit or scale for example, hinder actuator valve ffrom rising. A lever 11 pivoted at w to the topo is provided to raise the mainvalve'c from off its seat if desired.

passing up the passages (Z, and is therefore of w a length suitablefor this purpose.

holes I.

The operation of the form of valve illustrated is as follows -Assuming the valve'to be taining steam under pressure, under these circumstances the steam will be free to pass through the openings'd from the boiler, and

from another part of the boiler'through' the 0 There are a plurality of suitably formed 7 I on a boiler conopening 0, passing the actuator, valve f and v exerting a pressure against the main valve 6,

, under normal circumstances, cause a pressure drop in the chamber immediately below the main valve 6, a drop in pressure which will extend through the opening cl into the portion of the boiler about this opening, the pressure drop being due to its conversion into velocity, in the escaping steam. This velocity will notaflect the opening 0, which is removed from it and the actuator valve 7 will become unbalanced due to there being a greater'pressure in the portion 0 below the actuator valve'f than above it. A conical nozzle 8 is provided above the seating h to utilize the velocity of the fluid about to pass through the main valve to increase the pres-' sure diiference operating the actuator.

A very considerable additional pressure drop is obtained by the action of the velocity of the steam escaping through the openings cl passing over the nozzle of the cone 8, and the effect is to reduce the pressure above the actuator valve f practically to that of the atmosphere.

Under these circumstances, the actuator valve 7, which is of greater diameter than the main valve 6, will move sharply upwards and seat in spite ofthe increase of resistance due to the compression of the spring m; in this position the lower side will be exposed to the full boiler pressure and the upper as stated to a pressure approximating that of the atmosphere.

The main valve 6 on the other hand will be carried up by the actuator valve so far that the escaping steam will have no further influence upon its surfaces. The main valve 6 will rise rapidly from its seat, and the actuator valve f will become rapidly'seated, the part of the spindle 9 above the actuator valve pushing against the projecting internal spindle g.

The fall toits original position of the actuator valve f will be determined mainly by the relation of the pressure of steam in the passage 0 to the additionally compressed spring m, and this relation is determined and variable through the internal spindle g, which will enable the distance between main valve 6 and the actuator valve f to be axially variable so that the latter can be seated with more or less compression of the spring m. Directly the pressure in the passage 0 which will inevitably be different from that in the valve 6, and actuator valve 7 will be changed,

and the actuator valve 7 will become closed against pressure while the upper is open. The fluid which enters the openings 03 will escapethroughthe open main valve 6 and opening Z); and this will continue until the pressure holding the actuator valve 7 to its seatiis overcomeby the spring. 7 -When this occurs the return motion will be rapid. If then the area of the lower seat is calculated correctly the valve can be made "to reverse-its functions at the pressure required and if necessary at the nearest fractional difference from the original popping pressure by ad usting the spindle 9 through the threaded portion 1".

By this combination it is possible to make a valve which will be extremely sensitive at high pressures, and at the same time keep the loading arrangement very light and within a very small compass.

The main valve being free from external lips of huddling chambers, that is to'say a secondary compartment formedoutside the valve by a lip, and by a curl ontheseat which makes the pressure of the escaping steam act on a greater area, will return freely to its seat without being destroyed by high pressure fluids and may be stream lined for this purpose.

An advantage of this valve is that it can be set to 'riseto a full bore opening which will be maintained fully until the moment at which the valve is set to closewhen it will reverse and close as speedily as it went up.

The principleis that of transferring the operative function of working against the same loading device from one valve'to another, which makes it possible to vary the closing pressures from the lifting pressures irrespective of the original load.

What I claim and desire. to secure by Letters Patent is p I 1. An automatically operated fluid valve comprising a main valve and a supplementary actuator valve on the side of the main valve presented to the actuating fluid pressure,

both controlled'by a common loading device, means being provided whereby the lift of the actuator valve canbe varied and adjusted independently of the lift of the" main valve.

2. An automatically operated fluid valve comprisinga main valve and a supplementary actuator valve on the side of the main valve presented'to' the actuating fluid pressure, both controlled by a'common loading device, the effective areas of the valve and the valve-like actuator being different, means being provided whereby the load operating 2-:

against the actuator valve can be varied and adjusted independently of the load operating against the main valve.

3. An automatically operated fluid valve comprising a main valve and a supplementary actuator valve on the side of the main valve presented to the actuating fluid pressure, both controlled by a common loading device, means being provided whereby the load operating against the actuator valve can be varied and adjusted independently of the load operating against the main valve, the main valve and actuator valve being provided with separate spindles.

4. An automatically operated fluid valve comprising a main valve and a supplementary actuator valve on the side of the main valve presented to the actuating fluidpressure, both controlled by a common loading device, means being provided whereby the load operating against the actuator valve can be varied and adjusted independently of the load operating against the main valve, a fluid conduit for the actuator valve. and a conduit for the escaping fluid, the fluid conduit to the actuator valve being separated from theconduit for the fluid escaping through the'main valve.

5. An automatically operated fluid valve comprising a main valve and a supplemen device, means being provided whereby the load operating against the actuator valve can be varied and adjusted independently of the load operating against the main valve, the actuator valve operating within a conduit designed to maintain the full pressure on one side of the actuator valve, the opposite side thereof being provided with a nozzle which in use is surrounded by the escaping fluid in such a way as to use the velocity of this escaping fluid to increase the diflerence in pressure operating the actuator valve. I

6., An automatically operated fluid valve comprising a main .valve and a supplementary actuator valve on the side of the main valve presented to the actuating fluid pressure, both controlled by a common loading device, means being provided whereby the load operating against the actuator valve can be varied and adjusted independently of the load operating against the main valve, the main valve and actuator being provided with separate spindles, the actuator valve operating within a conduit designed to maintain the full pressure on one side of the actuator valve, the opposite side thereof being provided with a nozzle which in use is surrounded by the escaping fluid in such a way as to use the velocity of this escaping fiuid to increase the difference. in pressure operating the actuator valve. p v 1 In testimony whereof, I afiiX my signature.

HAROLD LYALL MASON. 

